Avoiding the estate agent for property sales...

Jolanta_Nowak

... what are the main tips?

To my mind, anyone with time to prepare would be several bricks short of an extension not to consider the potential saving.

Ok, I've got my own board... what else is there to do?

Doozergirl

www.housenetwork.co.uk

The lazy person's way to avoid the traditional estate agent and still get their house seen on www.rightmove.co.uk - the biggest property portal. Lots of photos, virtual tours and a floorplan too.

I wouldn't DIY but I'd happily use House Network. Still massive savings to be had.

Canucklehead

Doozergirl wrote: »

www.housenetwork.co.uk

The lazy person's way to avoid the traditional estate agent and still get their house seen on www.rightmove.co.uk - the biggest property portal. Lots of photos, virtual tours and a floorplan too.

I wouldn't DIY but I'd happily use House Network. Still massive savings to be had.

Good evening: Substitute clever for lazy;) Housenetwork has worked for us 3 times now....the vendor takes on the viewings booked by HN, very straight forward process with extra cash from sale that you haven't forked out on commissions available for whatever takes your fancy!

HTH

Canucklehead

Richard_Webster

If you buy and sell a lot you will know the kinds of problems that arise with:

• chains, and
• buyers not getting the mortgages they say they will get,
• the divorcing wife who says that her ex has agreed to buy her out so she will have the money to buy the property (then his solicitors tell him not to pay anything until the court has approved the "deal")
• etc, etc.

I think people like Doozer have probably bought and sold enough properties to know some of the things that happen, but sadly, a lot of people get caught in situations which, in some cases are unavoidable, but in others, someone with experience in the business could see coming...

A good estate agent could help there. Difficulty is finding one who does know what he is doing, rather than one who finds a buyer and moves on to the next case and isn't interested in making sure it happens.

BrixMorta

Richard is correct, a good proportion of home sales come up against problems and a good EA will be worth their fee for salvaging the sale, let alone, reducing any likely re negotiation to a minimum.

Canucklehead

Good evening: I have yet to meet a 'good' estate agent in the UK. Anyone with initiative and an internet connection can uncover a myriad of useful info on the house buying/selling process/associated problems ...this forum is an excellent example. If estate agents were professionally trained and licensed as they are in Canada, I would have more confidence in the profession. We typically end up having to chase the opposite party's EA as buyers and vendors to move the process along: we use a competent conveyancer to handle the legalities.

Canucklehead

Richard_Webster

Canucklehead wrote: »

Good evening: I have yet to meet a 'good' estate agent in the UK. Anyone with initiative and an internet connection can uncover a myriad of useful info on the house buying/selling process/associated problems ...this forum is an excellent example. If estate agents were professionally trained and licensed as they are in Canada, I would have more confidence in the profession. We typically end up having to chase the opposite party's EA as buyers and vendors to move the process along: we use a competent conveyancer to handle the legalities.

Canucklehead

I only partially agree about estate agents - I have found from experience that there are good ones. I do agree though that it is difficult for the average seller to decide who is good and who isn't...

Of course, you can find out a lot on the internet if you want to, but sadly lots of people still don't do this. If they did take the trouble to read up on what they were doing, and look at forums such as this, they would be more prepared, but instead I am forever having clients say things like: " I assumed it was OK to do so and so, and I didn't realise xxxxx could happen..."

BrixMorta

Jolanta_Nowak wrote: »

... what are the main tips?

To my mind, anyone with time to prepare would be several bricks short of an extension not to consider the potential saving.

Ok, I've got my own board... what else is there to do?

If your happy to run the risk of being mucked about buy a buyer then the best way forward would be to put the board you have up, in an ideal world it should have a web site address or somewhere they can access details of your property, at the very least your contact number.

Produce a set of details
Get a Hip if necessary
Place an ad in the local paper, you may need to repeat this a few times.
Most important of all, make sure the asking price is reasonable.

When you find a buyer, obtain full details regarding their position, ie; do they have something to sell, is it on the market, who with, chain details, solicitor they will be using, how they will fund the purchase (always rembering the old adage 'buyers are liars')

Best of luck.